Cash and tips in orlando

Author
Discussion

philv

Original Poster:

3,911 posts

213 months

Sunday 26th March 2017
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2 weeks in orlando.

How much cash is reasinable to take to start so i have enough for tps and spare?


What is the standard amount to tip?
For taxis?
Restaurant?
Service such as taking bags to room in hotel?
Etc?

Thanks.

Countdown

39,689 posts

195 months

Sunday 26th March 2017
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It's definitely "how long is a piece of string". Everybody spends different amounts on different things.

I budgeted £50 per person per day (2 adults/4 kids) and that was way more than enough. It covered both meals and shopping for presents/souvenirs

mikef

4,824 posts

250 months

Sunday 26th March 2017
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philv said:
What is the standard amount to tip?
For taxis?
Restaurant?
Service such as taking bags to room in hotel?
20% is pretty much standard in the US
Upmarket hotel a couple of bucks per bag, budget a buck

Puggit

48,355 posts

247 months

Monday 27th March 2017
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$20 per day at the parking lots for the amusement parks

tankplanker

2,479 posts

278 months

Monday 27th March 2017
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Where are you staying? On property resort hotels will be much more expensive for food than a Villa if you can cook for yourself.
Will you have a car? Being able to drive off property will be much cheaper for food.
Are you planning on going to any of the table service Disney or Universal Restaurants? For a signature restaurant I would budget between $200 and $300 for a typical meal with drinks and service included for a family of four.
Prepared to drink water? Disney and Universal both have free water fountains, we take collapsible bottles that we refill, saves a lot compared to buying drinks in the park.

We budget on £100 per day to cover food bought in the parks, car parking and an ice creams for a family of four, we normally have money left for clothes shopping by the end of the holiday. Meals at table service restaurants are budgeted for on top of this and we pre pay for extra cost activities.

Old Merc

3,486 posts

166 months

Monday 27th March 2017
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Not leaving a reasonable tip in the states must be a criminal offence??? its part of life,from a burger joint to a 5*,they will expect a minimum of 10%.
The last time I was there we had a quick lunch at one of those chicken and rib places before our flight.I paid the bill with my card and left all my spare change for the tip and left.The waiter chased me out to the car park complaining that I did not leave 10%,"it is the custom Sir".I was so gob smacked and embarrassed I gave him a 50 dollar note and he went inside to change it.
Can you imagine that happening at a Little Chef in the UK.

Sheepshanks

32,526 posts

118 months

Monday 27th March 2017
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mikef said:
20% is pretty much standard in the US
We (UK tourists) get battered with that, and certainly the bill will often have 18, 20 and 22% handily calculated for you (it's based on the pre-tax total, by the way).

But it's common to see Americans leave $5 in chain places and at one of the Disney Signature restaurants the couple on the table next to us discussed the tip and agreed on $10 (it should have been at least $30) and it didn't get any visible reaction from the server.

Indeed it peeves me somewhat that even leaving 20%+ NEVER gets any kind of reaction - yet you'll read they avoid serving Brits as we tip badly.

rossub

4,400 posts

189 months

Monday 27th March 2017
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Old Merc said:
Not leaving a reasonable tip in the states must be a criminal offence??? its part of life,from a burger joint to a 5*,they will expect a minimum of 10%.
The last time I was there we had a quick lunch at one of those chicken and rib places before our flight.I paid the bill with my card and left all my spare change for the tip and left.The waiter chased me out to the car park complaining that I did not leave 10%,"it is the custom Sir".I was so gob smacked and embarrassed I gave him a 50 dollar note and he went inside to change it.
Can you imagine that happening at a Little Chef in the UK.
I'd have told him to fk off smile

VTECMatt

1,168 posts

237 months

Monday 27th March 2017
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We stayed onsite at Disney last year 15 nights, spent £1400 all in, that covered all our meals. Some cheap some a bit more don't recall spending over $100 on any meal for 2 grown ups and hungry 7 & 8 yo. Avoid eating in the parks, expensive and in general pretty average. Sign up for discount vouchers.

Glad I hired a car, petrol is so cheap, spent around £600 including fuel, drove around 700 miles.

Matt

carinatauk

1,408 posts

251 months

Monday 27th March 2017
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My experience, when I was working over there, is that even the Americans pay the tip. There are always folks who don't, it tended to be my British colleagues who moaned about it. The staff share the tip box at the end of the day apparently, unlike over here where some restaurants keep it for themselves.

For me it was part of the cost of being over there. At least the weather and scenario are good, for the most part.

RDMcG

19,093 posts

206 months

Monday 27th March 2017
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Its how people are paid.

Very low wages and depend on tips.I generally leave 15% minimum, 20% places like NYC. there is usually a local standard. Tipping is a local custom and best to fit in to the practice of the country. Thus I do not tip in Japan for instance, or tip cab drivers in Singapore. I do not tip in pubs in the UK, but do 15% in Canada. In North America is generally do 10% for buffets for instance.

sparks_E39

12,738 posts

212 months

Wednesday 29th March 2017
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Just spent 7 days in Orlando and 3 in New York, got back on Saturday. I went with $1300 and by day 7 had $700 left. Yes we had pre purchased the Universal tickets (awesome) but found eating outside of Universal to be cheap, and all we did apart from Universal (we went every day, it's that big) was go to a couple of malls and one day to the Space Centre where we saw this beauty, so well worth it, only an hours drive, but you'll only be there a few hours.



Some lockers at Universal charge around $4 per ride, and some are free. Lunch in the resort is easily $25 per person. Tipping at least 10% is mandatory in a restaurant unless you go somewhere like Wendy's. Our hotel was fantastic (Holiday Inn on Major Boulevard) A free breakfast and a free shuttle to Universal. Loved every second, we're going again for 2-3 weeks next year.


Matt Harper

6,613 posts

200 months

Wednesday 29th March 2017
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sparks_E39 said:
Tipping at least 10% is mandatory in a restaurant unless you go somewhere like Wendy's.
Not mandatory. No gratuity is mandatory - even in establishments that add a 'service charge' to the check.

I've never understood why people on here get their knickers in such a twist over this.

If you feel you received good service, then reward it with what you feel is appropriate (never mind what the establishment considers to be 'customary').

There have been occasions where I have tipped $20 on $20 worth of drinks, but experienced great, friendly service that deserved it - and others where I've left piss-all on a $100 tab, because the service stank. It isn't rocket surgery.

I've lived in this town for 16 years and the only time I was ever challenged was by an Irish lad who gave me the sttiest service at Orlando Ale House on Universal Blvd. He collected the tab and came back and said, "Do you realize that service isn't included?", to which I replied, "That's good, because I didn't get any - would you like to invite your manager to join this conversation?".

raceboy

13,081 posts

279 months

Wednesday 29th March 2017
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Matt Harper said:
There have been occasions where I have tipped $20 on $20 worth of drinks, but experienced great, friendly service that deserved it - and others where I've left piss-all on a $100 tab, because the service stank. It isn't rocket surgery.
My approach entirely.
Just come back from a few days in NYC, my first time visiting America, and had obviously read all about the whole 'tipping culture,' we were generally shocked about how bad the service was across the board, from restaurant staff to tourist attraction staff.
The pre-paid shuttle bus driver from the airport reluctantly got 10%ish, you never know if it'll be the same one going back, it wasn't, the return guy got zip, it was the worst 'taxi' ride I've every had, no way was I paying 'extra' for the experience.
I don't know whether it's an NYC thing but considering they make a big deal about 'tipping' they should make a bigger deal about earning it.
The idea of working out an exact percentage is never going to work for me, you'll get a rounded up figure or the change in my pocket, don't like it' I'll have it back thanks.

Silverage

2,023 posts

129 months

Wednesday 29th March 2017
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raceboy said:
My approach entirely.
Just come back from a few days in NYC, my first time visiting America, and had obviously read all about the whole 'tipping culture,' we were generally shocked about how bad the service was across the board, from restaurant staff to tourist attraction staff.
The pre-paid shuttle bus driver from the airport reluctantly got 10%ish, you never know if it'll be the same one going back, it wasn't, the return guy got zip, it was the worst 'taxi' ride I've every had, no way was I paying 'extra' for the experience.
I don't know whether it's an NYC thing but considering they make a big deal about 'tipping' they should make a bigger deal about earning it.
The idea of working out an exact percentage is never going to work for me, you'll get a rounded up figure or the change in my pocket, don't like it' I'll have it back thanks.
The whole tipping thing really grinds my gears in the US. I'd much rather they all upped their prices by 20% and increased the pay of the staff and then didn't expect tips. Why should there be an expectation that customers will leave money to reward better service? There should only be one standard of service. I'm not interested in paying for false smiles and conversation from the servers. Bah, humbug, etc.

raceboy

13,081 posts

279 months

Wednesday 29th March 2017
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Silverage said:
The whole tipping thing really grinds my gears in the US. I'd much rather they all upped their prices by 20% and increased the pay of the staff and then didn't expect tips.
Can I add to that not putting the 'tax' on any prices, getting to the till and finding out I needed to add 8% to the price got boring quickly, then there was some sort of 'bottle tax' on pop in their version of Tesco Express, and then the fast food/pizza joint that changed it's prices in the evening, for the exact same item served in exactly the same way, loved the 'city' but the people/customs I can live without.....but now I'm going off on a tangent. hehe

djc206

12,244 posts

124 months

Wednesday 29th March 2017
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Tipping in the US is a tricky art. I've always worked on the principle that if someone gives me really good service which they commonly do they get 20%+ especially if I'm going back. In Vegas we tipped the excellent waitress at the pool very well on the first day and chatted with her quite a bit, the following day she was straight over and our drinks were never empty, a mutually beneficial relationship. If the service is st which I've not experienced much I just won't tip, I'll have the argument if they want one. One aspect I do resent is in a quiet bar being expected to tip at least $1 a drink, I noticed at Miami airport this extends to airport lounges!

Crook

6,713 posts

223 months

Thursday 30th March 2017
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Does anybody have any recent experience of getting cash out of the ATMs over there? Ordinarily I don't think twice about it but as the $/£ rate is so dire at the moment I wondered whether it was better or worse than over here.

Thanks

djc206

12,244 posts

124 months

Thursday 30th March 2017
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Crook said:
Does anybody have any recent experience of getting cash out of the ATMs over there? Ordinarily I don't think twice about it but as the $/£ rate is so dire at the moment I wondered whether it was better or worse than over here.

Thanks
It depends on the charges your bank levies. If you get a card/account with no charges then it will be a better rate, if you don't typically they charge enough in fees to nullify any improvement in rate. I'm sure people will be along to recommend accounts, I think the Halifax clarity card is a popular one as is Revolut

Sheepshanks

32,526 posts

118 months

Thursday 30th March 2017
quotequote all
Crook said:
Does anybody have any recent experience of getting cash out of the ATMs over there? Ordinarily I don't think twice about it but as the $/£ rate is so dire at the moment I wondered whether it was better or worse than over here.
I don't know why there would be any significant difference in the rates but, unless you're spending massive amounts of money it's going to be neither here nor there in the great scheme of things.

It's probably a bit irrational, but I'm always terrified of sticking my card in machines over there in case it doesn't come out again! I do have a $ account so normally use a card that draws on that but for work I use a UK Amex card and have never felt ripped off, although I get the full amount back anyway so maybe I don't notice as much as if I was paying.